Together Yes: How we eat

We once were diet conscious because we needed to nourish our families with the foods we grew ourselves or bought from our neighbors (long time ago).

Susan Clare

We once were diet conscious because we needed to nourish our families with the foods we grew ourselves or bought from our neighbors (long time ago).

Now, with availability almost unlimited (provided we have the money), food has become more a matter of choice, as we no longer have to make do with what’s locally grown. In the U.S. we may eat selectively for several reasons.

Mitigation of Health Issues: Diabetes, acid reflux, high cholesterol, allergies, and food intolerances often motivate us to regulate what we eat.

Weight Control: Need I say more?

Nutrition: We have more information at our fingertips every day regarding the foods our bodies need to remain healthy. Sometimes, so much information makes decisions complicated, but thank goodness, we do have choices we can make.

Avoidance of Toxins: Quite a few items in our grocery stores are laced with chemicals poisonous to humans, such as some artificial sweeteners, preservatives, pesticides & herbicides, and colorants. Labels can be formidable to read. A useful guideline is to check for the following: Is the list of ingredients more than one-half inch long, and can you pronounce the words? If it doesn’t pass the test, then you should pass on the product. This doesn’t work so well with meat and produce, as labeling is not very closely regulated (and not always required) by the FDA.

Pay attention to packaging as well. Are cans lined with Bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disrupter? Is the food sold in a plastic bottle or jar that probably contains BPA? Again, there is no FDA oversight of labeling here. Is the packaging plastic or Styrofoam, both requiring nonrenewable petrochemicals in the making, and never really biodegradable (though they may eventually break down into microscopic bits to more insidiously pollute our ecosystem).

Ecology: I admit this is new to me, something I’ve only studied for a few years now. I am learning to consider my purchases in these terms:
1. How far has my food traveled (fossil fuels and pollution)?
2. Is my beef raised on GMO grain from fields where diverse crops could be grown to feed many people? And am I enjoying bottled spring water imported from areas where the residents don’t have access to potable water themselves?

Finances: I have to be honest here. I can’t afford to buy organic foods with regularity.

There is so much to consider when making food choices, including the relationship between the USDA and the FDA and large agribusiness corporations, farmers saving seeds from their crops, humane treatment of food animals, safety of crops, and the effects of these on all of us. Join your neighbors for a free film screening of “Food, Inc.” at Morrill Memorial Library on Tuesday, Sept. 18 7 p.m. Call (781) 769-0200 or go to the Circulation Desk at the library to sign up.

Together Yes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable living in Norwood. Susan Clare is a founding member of Together Yes. To learn more about Together Yes, visit our website at www.tgryes.org. We welcome emails at sustain@tgryes.org.